bồ hòn

Vietnamese

Etymology

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 無患 (SV: vô hoạn)? Sense #1 likely relates to sense #2 through some sort of a folktale or myth”

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓo˨˩ hɔn˨˩]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓow˦˩ hɔŋ˦˩]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔɓow˨˩ hɔŋ˨˩]

Noun

(classifier cây, quả, trái) bồ hòn

western soapberry (Sapindus saponaria)
Thương nhau củ ấu cũng tròn, ghét nhau thì quả bồ hòn cũng vuông.
If we care for one another, even water caltrops are round; if we hate each other, even the western soapberry fruit is square.

Verb

bồ hòn

to have no worries

Derived terms

ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt